The invention relates to a disc brake, in particular for a utility or commercial vehicle.
The invention is concerned, in particular, with a disc brake which is pneumatically and/or electromechanically actuated. The pneumatic drive device is, for example, a pneumatically actuated brake cylinder, which acts with a piston rod on the brake application unit, in particular on a rotary lever of the brake application unit. The electromechanical drive device may be an electric motor, which acts on the brake application device.
In general, disc brakes can, according to the selected force operating principle, be divided into two basic types: (i) force generation and wear adjustment on both sides of the brake disc, for example a hydraulic fixed caliper disc brake having an axially fixed brake disc and force generation on both sides of the brake disc, or (ii) force generation and wear adjustment on one side of the brake disc and transmission of the actuation force to the remote side as per the reaction principle, for example sliding caliper disc brakes, pivoting caliper disc brakes, and fixed caliper disc brakes having a displaceable brake disc.
Compressed-air-actuated disc brakes for heavy utility or commercial vehicles with wheel rim diameters of 15 inches and above conventionally utilize the reaction force principle since, on account of the restricted installation space conditions at the vehicle wheel, the arrangement of a compressed air actuating cylinder is possible only on the open side of the vehicle wheel, which side faces toward the inside of the vehicle. Constructions of this type are shown, for example, in DE 36 10 569 A1, DE 37 16 202 A1, EP 0 531 321 A1 (see here, in particular, the structure of the adjusters in the manner of rotary drives), and EP 0 688 404 A1.
Brake application devices of the type described here having an eccentrically mounted rotary lever and at least one, but preferably two, in particular axially variable-length pressure plungers, which for the purpose of length variation is assigned at least one adjusting device, can in principle also be used in the brake caliper of the disc brake described below as pertaining to the invention.
It is alternatively also possible for another type of rotary lever arrangement to be used, with an adjustment device being provided preferably only at the application side.
Sliding caliper or pivoting caliper disc brakes require an axially fixed component—generally referred to as a brake carrier—which holds and guides the brake pads/brake linings and, in the event of a brake actuation, absorbs the tangential forces. The brake carrier further supports the brake caliper, which is mounted so as to be moveable coaxially with respect to the vehicle axle. The present invention is concerned here, in particular, with the optimization of such sliding caliper disc brakes.
It is the object of the present invention to provide an optimized disc brake of the above-mentioned type.
A sliding caliper disc brake, which is further optimized in particular with regard to the installation space conditions, and preferably also with regard to its weight, should preferably be provided.
The invention provides a disc brake, in particular pneumatically or electromagnetically operated, for utility vehicles, having brake caliper which straddles a brake disc at least in a peripheral edge region, a brake application device for applying the brake, and an application-side brake lining and a reaction-side brake lining arranged on the opposite sides of a brake disc, with both brake linings each having a brake lining carrier and a lining material fitted thereto. At least the reaction-side brake lining is designed such that the brake lining carrier has at least one, or preferably a plurality of, recesses into which at least one corresponding element engages, which element is connected in one piece or is fixed to the brake caliper and projects from the latter. Alternatively or additionally, the brake lining carrier has at least one, or preferably a plurality of, projecting elements which engage in corresponding recess formed in the brake caliper. Still further alternatively or additionally, the brake lining carrier has at least one, or preferably a plurality of, recesses into which in each case at least one corresponding separate element engages, which element also engages in corresponding recess formed in the brake caliper.
A further aspect of the invention is that the brake caliper is designed as a sliding caliper which is fastened by way of a floating bearing arrangement and by a fixed bearing arrangement to an axially fixed part referred to as a brake carrier. Only one of the two bearing arrangements is divided into two individual bearings.
Another aspect of the invention is that a brake carrier has, in order to arrange the brake caliper so as to be movable relative to the brake disc plane, at the application side, in each case one bar for arranging the fixed bearing and a bar for arranging the floating bearing. These bars are connected to one another by way of a strut. Only a bar for fastening the further fixed bearing is provided on the brake carrier at the reaction side.
A brake caliper having four bearings at both sides of the brake disc is already well known from U.S. Pat. No. 4,392,560. It has, however, not been recognized that it is particularly advantageous to provide two fixed bearings and only one floating bearing, which provides considerable advantages on the caliper and the brake carrier with regard to the installation space and with regard to the brake carrier. The latter can also, in particular, be considerably optimized in terms of weight with respect to a sliding caliper design having only one fixed bearing and only one floating bearing.
Advantageous embodiments are also described and claimed herein.
The invention also provides a novel brake lining for use in the inventive disc brake.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.